


Wolfred

by essexmermaid



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Protective Fred Thursday, ThursDAD, Wolfman, crush on Fred Thursday, violent death of minor characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 04:05:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19845208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/essexmermaid/pseuds/essexmermaid
Summary: Fred Thursday comes to the rescue but then needs the help of his friends to get to safety. Shirley Trewlove has a massive crush on Fred Thursday when he turns into a wolf.





	1. Full Moon

Detective Inspector Fred Thursday had been like a bear with a sore head the past couple of days. Everyone at the police station was wary of his moods, swinging from irritated to downright furious. He shouted and swore at the least provocation, and his colleagues feared a tongue lashing whenever they approached him. No-one knew what had upset him, or how to deal with his anger. Usually so calm and professional, Thursday was boiling with rage.

Thursday had taken the day off work, intending to stay safely at home. He knew the signs all too well as the full moon approached. He was particularly worried since he knew that he’d have to deal with the change by himself this month because his wife Win had moved out and left him. Win had always been there for him, but this time would be different now he was alone. That made him even more nervous as it was the full moon tonight. The pain, he could stand. But without anyone to soothe and comfort him through the night, he was not sure he could control himself.

When the call came through that evening to his home phone, Thursday could hardly believe his ears. The bastards had got Morse and had promised to kill him unless Thursday agreed to meet them. And they’d rung Thursday’s home number so they knew where he lived, threatening his family’s safety too. Thursday was wild with indignation and fear for Morse and for his family. Worse still, they had managed to drag him out of his house on this night of all nights. He should have stayed at home, he knew, but this couldn’t be trusted to anyone else, not when Morse was in danger.

At the station only a one police officer was working late that evening. WPC Shirley Trewlove was startled as DI Thursday raced into the office. 

“Trewlove” barked Thursday, “with me. Car’s outside. NOW!”

Trewlove leapt to her feet. Grabbing her shoulder bag on the way out, she ran to catch up with her governor who had already dashed out to his car. Thursday was in the Jag and had started the engine before she could tumble into the passenger seat beside him. Thursday drove out of Oxford at a furious rate.

“They’ve got Morse” he snarled by way of an explanation.  
“Who has?” she asked, trying to catch her breath.  
“Those cretins Hadley and Temple” he spat.  
“Where?”  
“Ascombe Woods up by the clearing.”

Trewlove stayed silent, while Thursday’s mind was whirring with anxiety. The call to his home earlier had been from Hadley, a known thug with a grudge against both Thursday and Morse. He claimed to have Morse at knifepoint, demanding Thursday come and fetch him up at the woods. Thursday of course knew this was a trap but had to rescue Morse from that bloodthirsty villain before anyone got badly hurt.

The moon was low in the sky, a great round full moon shining down on them. It was very bright, lighting up the evening with an eerie glow. Thursday glared up at the full moon once or twice, shaking his head anxiously and making what sounded to Trewlove like a low growl in the back of his throat. The car sped on into the silver moonlight.

Thursday took the dirt road into the woods with his foot to the floor. He pulled up at the end of the track and was out of the car in a flash. Trewlove bolted after him thinking in his haste he had forgotten her, but as the trees opened out at the edge of the clearing Thursday turned and whispered,  
“Stay here. Any funny business, back to the car and radio for help”. He handed her the keys to the Jag and walked forward alone. 

Trewlove stepped back among the trees, watching carefully. She could see right across the clearing by the light of the full moon and noticed a couple of figures stagger out from the shadows. She gasped as she recognised Morse held by the scruff of the neck by another man, and her stomach clenched as she realised he held a knife to Morse’s throat.

“Let him go, Hadley” snapped Thursday, barely concealing his fury. “It’s me you want.”  
“Ah, Fred, long time no see,” replied Hadley, “come for your little lapdog have you?”.  
Thursday made an angry sort of a noise, as Hadley shook Morse by the neck. Morse was bruised about the face and protested only weakly.  
“’Bout time you and me had a little chat Fred. You got me put away for a long time and I reckon you owe me big time.”  
“You’re a small time crook and a waste of space, you deserved all you got” snarled Thursday. “You’re too stupid to even make yourself scarce, turning up here again. You’re about to get more of the same”.

Hadley reacted angrily and shook Morse even harder this time. Morse raised his hands feebly but could not squirm out of the thug’s grasp. He was thrown to the floor and landed on his hands and knees, head hanging down. Hadley kicked Morse in the head and with a single vicious blow that knocked him unconscious. He then leant in with the knife towards Morse’s exposed throat.

In the next instant, Trewlove wasn’t quite sure how Thursday could have moved so fast. He seemed to bound across the space between them in a flash, tackling Hadley to the ground. Trewlove spun on her heel and raced back to the car to radio for backup, hesitatingly only for a moment when she heard a spine chilling scream from behind her. 

Trying not to panic she opened the car door in a hurry. Trewlove stuck her head into Jag to radio for help, requesting police officers and an ambulance to attend DI Thursday and an officer hurt by an armed attacker. But before she had finished she was gripped from behind and roughly hauled out. A sharp thump to her ribs winded her and as she was slammed face forward against the side of the car. Someone behind her laughed as he grabbed a handful of her hair and shoved himself hard against her from behind, pinning her to the car. She tried twisting round to try to see her attacker but he hit her again, harder this time, and forced her face down onto the roof of the car. She realised belatedly it was Hadley’s partner, the other thug Thursday had expected to find here.

Trewlove struggled hard and then screamed as his other hand reached down to grab the hem of her skirt and wrench it up around her hips. The uniform ripped; his hand was between her legs before she could pull away. A knife was jammed against her throat and a voice hissing in her ear,

“Any more noise from you girly, and I’ll cut ya’, don’t think I won’t. But first I’m going to have some fun wiv’ ya’” he laughed cruelly.

Frantically Trewlove tried to push him off, but he was too strong. Deliberately he ran the knife across her neck just above her uniform collar and she felt a sharp sting as he cut her skin. Trewlove froze and sagged against the car too frightened to move.

Suddenly there was a great blow from behind which knocked Trewlove to the ground. Dazed, she could hear the man’s voice pleading in terror before being cut short and then a scrabbling sound. Trewlove looked around to see what had become of her attacker although he had moved out of sight around to the front of the car. As she tried to get to her hands and knees, a large shadow slunk round the Jag towards her and she fell back against the car in terror. In the clear light of the full moon she could clearly see an enormous beast glide in front of her. The moon shone on its dark pelt as it sat back on its haunches, its huge head turned to look at her. She could not believe what she was seeing.

It was a wolf, a huge great wolf, and it was staring right back at her.


	2. The Wolf

As Trewlove gaped in horror, the wolf sat back, shaking its great head slowly from side to side. It huffed and got up onto its feet, taking a step towards her. Trewlove screamed as loudly as she could and kicked out with both feet. The wolf delicately danced back out of range and sat down again to watch her silently. After a while it laid its head on its paws and looked at her with half closed eyes. It seemed to be waiting for something. Trewlove could not take her eyes off the creature or summon the nerve to move. Distracted, she noticed its eyes were a beautiful amber colour, startlingly bright against the black and grey of his fur. 

Suddenly the wolf’s ears pricked up and he rose gracefully to his feet. She could see he was solid muscle under that fur, yet light on his feet and no doubt fast. The wolf pulled back his top lip showing his sharp teeth as if grinning at her, with heavy lidded, half closed eyes. For a moment she was oddly reminded of someone else but in too much of a state to remember who. Then Trewlove heard what the wolf had already known. The sound of a police siren meant that the backup was on its way through the woods and as she listened it was getting closer. The wolf huffed again, turned and was gone.

Trewlove scrambled to her feet as the police car pulled up next to the Jag followed by an ambulance.

Chief Superintendent Bright stepped out. Never had Trewlove been so glad to see her commanding officer.

“Trewlove?” Bright called out, “Where’s DI Thursday? What’s happening here?”. Bright walked around to the front of the Jag and stopped short. “Dear God, what on earth…?”

“Alright Shirl’?” asked Sergeant Strange getting out of the other door and stepping over to her. “You’re hurt”. Strange pulled at Trewlove’s shirt collar which was stained with her own blood from the knife wound at her throat.

“It’s alright, it just stings a bit” she said, having forgotten all about it. She took off her tie and loosened her collar to ease it from rubbing on her neck. She swayed a little, feeling suddenly giddy, and Strange grasped her by the elbow to steady her.

“Now then Constable Trewlove, a full report please and quickly” snapped Bright walking round to her side of the car. 

Using her title got her attention as he knew it would and WPC Trewlove snapped to attention. She switched immediately into professional mode and ran through the situation including Morse and Thursday at the clearing, and being attacked next to the Jag. She simply could not speak the words to explain she’d seen a wolf as its sudden appearance seemed to her to be completely unreal.

“Thankyou Constable”, said Bright, adding a little more kindly, “Are you hurt?”  
“No sir, I’m fine. This just needs cleaning up. He cut me with a knife but someone else dragged him off” she added, pointing to whatever was round the front of the Jag. “I didn’t see what happened, I’m afraid”.  
“Just as well, all things considered. Strange, see to that wound” insisted Bright, waving at Trewlove. He turned away smartly to issue orders to the two ambulance men who were getting out of their vehicle. 

Strange led Trewlove back to his own car where he fished out the first aid kit. Trewlove grabbed a cotton wad impatiently and waved him away as she held it to her neck to stop the bleeding.  
“Hurry up. Morse is up at the clearing” she urged, “He’s hurt. We’ve got to help him”.  
Strange nodded in agreement.  
“If Morse if hurt, sir, he’ll need medical attention. We’re done here. Shall I go look for him, sir?” Strange asked Bright.   
“Very good, Sergeant. Carry on. Take Constable Trewlove with you. Just be careful, both of you” agreed Bright. “I’ll follow you immediately we’ve cleared up here”.  
Strange and Trewlove hurried off up the track to the clearing.

Under Bright’s close supervision the ambulance men brought a stretcher and blanket, wincing at the sight of the body on the ground with its throat torn open. Bracing themselves they leant down to rearrange the limbs and after a few minutes lifted a covered body from in front of the Jag and took it back to the ambulance. 

“No-one is to see this body except Dr DeBryn. No-one do you hear?” urged Bright. The two ambulancemen, both shaken although they were used to seeing all kinds of horrible deaths, nodded their agreement and waited by the ambulance as Bright hurried down the track after Strange and Trewlove.

When they got to the clearing Trewlove ran over to Morse who was slumped on the ground holding his head in his hands.

“Morse, Morse, are you alright?” she asked realising it was a stupid question as soon as the words were out of her mouth. He had been badly beaten then knocked unconscious and was still in a bit of a daze.  
“Shirl’,” Morse breathed, “What’s happened? Who hit me?”  
Trewlove knelt with Morse, patting him ineffectually as he slowly regained his bearings.

Strange had moved over to a body lying on its back some distance from Morse. He recoiled in disgust from the bloody mess on the ground, then bravely leant in to examine it more closely.

“Over here, sir. It’s Hadley, sir” called Strange, beckoning to Bright who had just caught them up.  
“Dear God, another one” answered Bright, turning away quickly.   
“What on earth could have done this” asked Strange, sounding for once a little fearful. “I’ve never seen such a horrible …”  
“That’s enough, Sergeant” snapped Bright, cutting him off.  
“And that looks like DI Thursday’s hat and overcoat, sir”

Bright walked over to some clothes strewn across the grass.  
“Get Morse back to the ambulance to be seen to. And bring one of the men back here to me with a stretcher. As quick as you can, Sergeant”.  
“Yessir” Strange replied. Bright’s orders and command of the situation was helping both him and Trewlove to focus their attention. Strange helped Morse to his feet and, putting an arm round him, carefully walked the injured lad back to the ambulance.

“Is Hadley dead, sir?” asked Trewlove. She could see clearly in the moonlight that there was a lot of blood around the body, from what seemed to be a head wound.  
“Yes, very.” he replied softly. “No need to come any closer, Constable”.  
“Oh. And where’s Inspector Thursday gone to? And why’s he dropped his hat?” she wondered out loud.  
“You didn’t see him?”  
“No sir, not after I ran back to the car to radio for backup. He went for Hadley when Morse was knocked out”.  
“Well now,” said Bright gently, “He’ll need our help to get home”.

Bright looked around the clearing which was illuminated by the full moon, searching for any further sign of Thursday.  
Almost to himself, Bright added “I believe he’s around here somewhere”.


	3. Wolfred

After the stoic ambulancemen had carried away the second badly mutilated body on the stretcher, Bright turned to Strange to give him his instructions.

“You go in the ambulance, Sergeant. Take Morse straight to hospital first”, he ordered. ”Both bodies to Dr DeBryn. No-one else is to see them, only the doctor. Do you hear?”  
“Yessir, only Dr DeBryn” repeated Strange.  
“And don’t discuss a word of this case with anyone save myself”.  
“Yessir” replied Strange.  
“Not a word, Sergeant, or you’ll answer to me” emphasised the Chief Superintendent.  
“Yessir, very good sir”.  
“Well, get on with it! Morse needs to get to hospital” Bright urged, and turned to Trewlove as Strange hurried off to carry out his orders.

“Constable Trewlove” he said in a much softer voice. “Did you see anything…ah…unusual when Morse was being held?”  
“No, sir”  
“Nothing out of the ordinary?” insisted Bright.  
“Well, sir, back at the Jag, after I was attacked by the other man….I did see something…..”. Trewlove hesitated.  
“Go on” Bright, “What did you see, Constable?”  
For a moment she could not bring herself to say the words, it seemed so insane. And then she blurted out, “A wolf, sir!”  
Bright did not seem at all surprised.  
“A wolf, you say? Was it a very large wolf? Did it approach you?”  
“Yessir” she said relieved that Bright believed her. “It was enormous. It came very close, as if waiting for something. I think … I’m not sure….I didn’t see what happened, but I think it was the wolf that knocked that other man off me. You do believe me, don’t you sir?” 

Bright nodded as if all this was only to be expected.  
“Yes, quite. You see, Constable, I’ve seen this wolf before.”  
“Have you, sir? When?”  
“Not for the longest time. I didn’t expect to see him again to tell you the truth”.  
“Him, sir?” queried Trewlove, surprised how wistful Bright had sounded.  
“Yes. Him. He has a name” said Bright firmly. “And I believe he’ll answer to it”.

Bright walked away from the bloody spot where Hadley’s body had been found and stood in the middle of the clearing. He smoothed down his uniform and squared his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full height. 

“Don’t make any sudden movement. No noise of any kind, do you hear?” Bright said in a low voice to Trewlove. “And stay right where you are, whatever may happen”.

“Yessir” said Trewlove who stood about ten feet away from him.

Taking a deep breath, Bright called out “Wolfred!”

Trewlove was surprised but looked around curiously.

“Wolfred!” he called again and then he waited. 

Trewlove caught her breath and searched the clearing expectantly. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a shadow move, but when she looked back at Mr Bright she gasped. Without having seen where he came from, she saw that the huge wolf had slipped out of the trees and was walking slowly towards Bright. Bright stood his ground and as the wolf approached he held out a fist toward it.

“Wolfred” he called softly. “You know me, don’t you?.”

To Trewlove’s utter amazement the wolf first sniffed at Bright’s hand, then licked it in recognition.

“Good fellow” sighed Bright with relief. “It’s been a long time, eh, Wolfred?” 

He reached between the wolf’s ears to scratch its head, and the wolf responded by rubbing himself against his side almost knocking Bright off his feet.

“Steady, there, steady,” laughed Bright. “It’s good to see you too, old friend”.

The wolf then turned his attention to Trewlove who stood open mouthed watching the exchange. As he began to walk towards her, Trewlove jolted in fear and half turned to run.

“Stand still, don’t worry, he knows you.” Bright cautioned, “He won’t hurt you”.

Trembling, but standing her ground as Bright advised, Trewlove watched the wolf fearfully. He leaned forward to sniff at her, then rubbed against her as he had done with Bright. Wolfred circled round her, sniffing thoughtfully as he did so. He stopped in front of her and gazed intently into her face. Trewlove noticed again those wonderful amber eyes, seeming gold now in the bright moonlight. Once again Wolfred drew back his top lip and bared his teeth in a lazy grin. Trewlove laughed out loud as she suddenly recognised the resemblance she’d noticed earlier but couldn’t place.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” she gasped in amazement as she stared at Wolfred. “It’s DI Thursday, isn’t it, sir?” she asked Mr Bright who had joined them.

“Yes, my dear, in another guise,” smiled Bright, “but still our true and trusted friend”.


	4. Safety

Wolfred leant his massive head against Trewlove’s chest and looked into her eyes appealingly. She laughed at his affection and reached up to scratch behind his ears. Wolfred half closed his eyes in appreciation then lifted his head for further petting. Trewlove scratched harder as he leaned into her, wondering at how soft his fur was under his chin.

“Well he certainly knows you,” chuckled Bright. “But we have to be quick. We must get him out of here and take him home before anyone sees him”.

“But how, sir?” asked Trewlove, alarmed now she realised that Wolfred was in danger of being discovered.

“We’ll get him into the patrol car and I’ll drive him home” mused Bright. “You can drive the Jag”.

“But you’ll be needed at the station won’t you, sir? Two murders and an officer hurt. Surely, sir, you’d be better going straight to the station to keep a lid on this investigation, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, yes” agree Bright a little impatiently. “But our first duty is to get Wolfred safely home.”

Wolfred blinked at the mention of his name, then snuggled back against her shoulder. Trewlove gazed into the wolf’s amber eyes and realised how she could help.

“Let me drive him home, sir” she insisted,” I know where he lives and he seems to have taken to me”. She laughed as Wolfred nudged under her chin with his long snout.

“Well that would be…” Bright hummed. “If you think you can manage, Constable” He stood watching the young woman playing with the wolf’s long ears for a moment then made a quick decision.

“Right. You take him home. No-one is to see him or we’ll have the whole of Oxford up in arms” he agreed. ”I’ll get to the station and start processing the paperwork so as to keep a firm grip on this. We can’t have people knowing that there have been two ghastly murders tonight”.

Wolfred narrowed his eyes and looked at Mr Bright.

“Yes, Wolfred, I know. You only did it to save Morse and then WPC Trewlove here. And I’m sure we’re all very grateful. But we can’t have any details getting out or there’ll be an uproar”.

Wolfred leaned back into Trewlove and yawned widely. She could see his rows of sharp teeth and realised that those are what had killed both men. She was chilled to know this apparently cuddly wolf was a formidable killer. More wary of him now, Trewlove backed away a little.

“First, Constable, we have to gather up all his clothes. Don’t leave any trace of DI Thursday having been here, not so much as a handkerchief!”

Trewlove and Bright collected up the clothes that DI Thursday had shed when changing into Wolfred. His coat, suit and hat were discarded in the clearing, but his underwear and shirt were badly shredded and only found after a thorough search in the undergrowth, hampered by Wolfred playfully treating the urgent search as a game of hide and seek.

Back at the Jag, Trewlove piled Thursday’s clothes onto the front seat, fishing out his house keys, wallet and warrant card. She opened up the back door of the Jag and marvelled at how fluidly Wolfred slunk onto the back seat and settled down. She threw Thursday’s overcoat over the wolf to partly hide him from sight.

Bright turned to Trewlove once more.

“Now, if you’re sure, Shirley? You could leave this to me and get yourself off if you prefer?”  
Trewlove was touched by his use of her first name and shook her head.  
“No, sir, I’ll take him home. He seems to trust me.”  
“Very well. But you realise that at some time in the night he’ll change back. You must stay with him, no matter what. Have him ring me just as soon as he feels able.”  
“Very good, sir.”  
“And Shirley, ring me if there’s even the slightest problem. Anything at all. Either at the station or at home, whatever time.”  
“Yessir, thankyou, sir” Trewlove smiled gratefully.  
Bright hurried away to the patrol car and drove off down the track, anxious to get back to the station.

Trewlove looked into the back of the Jag and shook her head. 

“You stay down now,” she whispered softly. “It’ll be alright. We’ll get you home in no time”. She shut the back door and got in the drivers seat. As she adjusted the drivers mirror she saw in her rear view Wolfred’s golden eyes gleaming from the back seat. She dragged her gaze away and started the engine, wondering what on earth she had let herself in for.


	5. Home

Trewlove parked right outside Thursday’s house. It was nearly midnight and the full moon as bright as ever. She took his house keys and let herself in the front door. Returning to the Jag she looked up and down the street to make sure no nosy neighbours were watching, then opened the back door of the car. Wolfred, no more than a dark shadow, glided swiftly indoors. Trewlove gathered up Thursday’s clothes, locked the car and followed him into the house.

Shutting and double locking the front door behind them, Trewlove piled the clothes onto the kitchen table then went through all the rooms closing the curtains. Wolfred was trotting from room to room restlessly and flowed upstairs to roam the bedrooms too. Trewlove busied herself sorting out Thursday’s clothes and emptying the pockets. She only realised that Wolfred was back downstairs when she heard him whining. He was sat in the hallway, his head lifted, sorrowfully calling for his wolf pack.

“Wolfred” she hissed, “Quiet now, you mustn’t wake the neighbours”.

Wolfred shook his head. He seemed agitated. Trewlove walked towards him apprehensively. Wolfred raised his head and sniffed and sniffed. He started whining once again.

“What is it, Wolfred?” she whispered. And then Trewlove realised that although he was home, there was none of his family here to greet him. His wife had left him, his son was away in the army and his daughter had moved out. Trewlove’s heart went out to this lonely creature, desperately searching for those he loved. 

“Oh, you poor darling!” she cried and dropped to her knees beside him in the empty house. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay right here with you” she sighed, putting her arms around his neck and burying her face in the soft fur of his throat. She hugged him tightly as gradually the tension left him and he sagged against her, lowering his chin over her shoulder.

“Come, now” she said getting to her feet. Wolfred leaned heavily against her reluctant to let her go. “We’ll go upstairs and get settled. You must be exhausted after all this….”. All what, she wondered, two bloody murders and changing from a man into a wolf?

Trewlove led the way upstairs, Wolfred following at her heels. He pushed past into his own bedroom and high stepped up onto the double bed while she closed the curtains. Wolfred turned round and round dragging the bedcovers with him, before dropping down onto his belly and burying his nose under his paws. Trewlove smiled with relief that he had settled down. She turned to leave but before she could move, Wolfred had jumped off the bed and padded over to block the doorway. He head butted her backwards, pushing her towards the bed.

“You want me to stay here with you?” she asked.

Wolfred stepped back up onto the bed and flopped back down into the tangle of bedclothes he’d created. Cautiously Trewlove sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. Wolfred watched her unblinkingly, his head resting on his paws. She unbuttoned her uniform jacket and placed it on the carpet next to the bed then kicked off her shoes. Trewlove swung her legs up, reached behind for a pillow and sighed deeply as she leant back and stretched out. Wolfred inched his nose towards her. When she looked at him he stopped dead. When she turned away, he crept another inch closer.

She smiled and patted the bed next to her.

“Come on then,” she whispered, “snuggle in”.

Wolfred crept over and laid his head on her shoulder, settling his huge bulk next to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned into his side, holding him tightly. He huffed loudly, squirmed a bit more, then lay still and as she listened his breathing became deep and regular. Too tired to worry any more about the night’s events, Trewlove was grateful that he had fallen asleep. She lay awake a while, amazed that she was holding a wolf in her arms, a wolf that had been a man, and that needed to be comforted.


	6. Fred Changes Back

Woken from an exhausted sleep by a restless movement beside her, Shirley Trewlove took a moment to realise where she was. She was lying on the bed in DI Thursday’s house next to an enormous wolf. What’s more, the wolf was in fact Thursday himself, changed by the power of the full moon. 

Shirley realised she had been crying in her sleep only when Wolfred got to his feet and looked down at her lying on the bed. The shocking events of the night had upset her more than she had known at the time. Wolfred leaned down to nudge away the tears on her check with the tip of his tongue. He pushed his snout under her chin and she lifted her head to let him sniff against the knife wound across her throat. Wolfred sniffed again and waited. She turned her face to the side, lifted her arms to pull him closer and sighed. Wolfed carefully licked the wound, his tongue rasping across her throat. The wound stung a bit but his warmth and touch were wonderful. She took hold of his thick fur in her hands and pulled the big wolf down beside her. He settled comfortably next to her while she drifted back to sleep.

Later, in the early hours of the morning, she woke again to find that Wolfred was struggling in his sleep, writhing and whining unhappily.

Shirley reached out to Wolfred to shake him awake. She leant over his massive shoulder to look into his face to try to calm him but Wolfred snapped his jaws at her and she jumped back in fear. She pushed herself away from him in shock at his reaction then realised he was twisting in pain. There was a horrible cracking and creaking noise as Wolfred’s legs stretched out on the bed and seemed to elongate in front of her very eyes. Shirley backed off the bed altogether and stood against the wall watching in horror. 

Wolfred’s whole body now was being racked, changing shape into something altogether longer and thinner. Shirley suddenly saw that Wolfred was changing back into Fred Thursday, when with a sickening tearing noise the wolf’s fur split along the spine to reveal a smooth hairless back. The wolf’s pelt began to melt away revealing long limbs and a broad back emerging from the wolf’s hide. 

Shirley could not bear the sight and lifting the edge of the bedspread to toss it over the agonised creature, then threw herself across his back to try to comfort him. Thursday, becoming more recognisable now as a man, stretched and groaned in agony as the full moon transition from wolf to man completed. 

She waited until he stopped groaning then tried to slide off his back. As she did so, his hand shot out from under the covers, definitely a human hand and definitely a broad hand belonging to Fred Thursday. He gripped her wrist tightly before she could twist out of his grip.

Thursday turned his head a little and over his shoulder, in a voice still thick with hurt and fear, called “Win?”

“No, darling, it’s me, Shirley” she replied, her heart breaking for the poor, lonely fellow. He was calling for his wife but had momentarily forgotten Win had walked out on him. Shirley knew he needed comforting and was lost without his wife beside him. Instead of pulling away from him, she relaxed back against him half lying across his shoulder.

“Shir’ey” Fred repeated, his thick tongue still unable to speak properly. His grip on her wrist relaxed. He half turned to look at her and she was shocked to see Fred’s eyes were flecked with gold, not yet fully transitioned from the wolf’s amber eyes.

“Yes, darling” she whispered reassuringly, “it’s Shirley. And you’re in your own home, in your own bed, and I’m not going to leave you. It’s alright, you’re safe here. You’re safe and at home and you changed but now you’re back.” 

Shirley continued to croon encouragement as Fred turned his face away from her. He buried his face in the pillow and from his body shaking she knew he was weeping, whether from pain or loneliness she couldn’t tell. Finally he lay still, then pushed the covers off his back. He lay on his front and reached over his shoulder to try to reach that inaccessible point between his shoulder blades. Shirley shoved the bedcovers out of the way to expose his back. Gently she pushed away his hand and began to scratch him lightly between the shoulder blades. Fred sighed with satisfaction and spread himself out face down on the bed. Shirley continued to scratch his aching skin, up and down his spine, across his shoulders, the back of his neck and up into his thick head of hair. 

Gradually Fred relaxed more and more while she stroked and caressed him. She wanted only to reassure him, thinking all the while of how he had saved her life, and put his own in danger to save Morse. Shirley longed to let him know how truly grateful she was, but concentrated on his needs right now instead of imposing her own. 

At last Fred heaved himself up to emerge from the bedcovers. He pushed her off to swing his legs over the side of the bed, then walked naked and rather unsteady on his feet to lift his dressing gown off the back of the bedroom door and went out to the bathroom.

Shirley sat on the side of the bed wondering what to do. She waited for Fred to return.

Fred came back dressed loosely in his dressing gown, naked beneath it. He sat heavily on the bed beside her.

“Alright?” he asked her, sliding his eyes her way as if his neck were too stiff to move.  
“Yes I’m fine” she smiled gratefully, knowing this was truly Fred Thursday from his consideration of her situation before his own, “and you?”  
“Oh” he huffed, offering no words. There was a silence while he pulled his thoughts together.  
“I didn’t…” he hesitated, then asked gently “hurt you?”   
“No, not at all” she confirmed, “in fact you saved my life”  
Thursday raised his eyebrows, questioning her without saying anything.  
“Well, it was Wolfred really, but you killed that thug who attacked me with a knife”

Fred sighed wearily and leaned down to put his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. Shirley instinctively put her arm around his shoulders, inadvertently exposing the long knife wound on her throat. Fred turned his head into her throat and leaned in close to where the knife cut stood out on her skin. She stayed completely still despite the urge to put her arms once more around his neck and stroke his thick hair. Fred hesitated for a moment then gently licked the wound, running his tongue across her throat. She shivered with the thrill of it.

Then he jerked away, shaking his head “Sorry, sorry, it’s just…I’m not….”  
“It’s alright. You’re not quite yourself” she sighed, leaning her shoulder against his. They sat in silence for several minutes.

“You’d better tell me what happened” he said at last. Shirley’s police training kicked in while she talked through the mad dash to the woods, Morse’s sorry state at the hands of the thugs, the knife attack by the Jag, Wolfred’s appearance, two bloody bodies and Mr Bright’s arrival. 

“Oh, Mr Bright asked you to ring him as soon as you are able, he said” Shirley suddenly remembered.

“Best do that now” Fred agreed. He got to his feet and stretched wearily. He went downstairs leaving Shirley’s head in a muddle, full of admiration and concern for Thursday, as well as shock and wonder at the terrible events of the night.


	7. Shirley Offers to Help

Shirley listened from the landing as Fred rang Mr Bright from the phone in the hall downstairs. His confidential tone and warm greeting surprised her; DI Thursday and Chief Superintendent Bright were always formally correct at the station, yet it appeared they were in fact the closest of friends.

“Reginald” announced Fred as Mr Bright answered his phone call.  
“Yes, yes, fine,” he continued, responding to the questions from the other end of the line. “I’m alright. Safe at home. How’s Morse?”  
“Morse has been kept in hospital overnight for observation? Just a beating, no sign of concussion?” Fred repeated for Shirley’s benefit, looking up at her above him while he spoke to Mr Bright. She nodded to show she’d heard.  
“Yes Reginald, she’s here. Saw me home and stayed throughout it all. Yes, she’s been very brave. Don’t know what I’d have done without her” said Fred, watching her as he spoke then winked at her. She grinned back at him weakly.

Fred carried on the phone call for several minutes while Shirley drifted back to the bedroom. As she opened the door she was hit by the stench of wet fur, mud and sweat. She heard Fred come back upstairs and he seemed invigorated by his friend’s encouragement.

“Morse will be okay, he says. And Mr Bright has everything else under control. We’re to meet him at the station later” reported Fred.

“Oh,” she responded tiredly, ”will you be alright, then?”  
Fred nodded and dodged the question.  
“I’m need a shave” he said ruefully, running his hand over an astonishing growth of thick stubble. “A bath too” he added, sniffing the room. “Best get you a change of clothes before we take you home”.

Shirley looked at him, surprised. “No need for that, I’ll walk home by myself. It’s not too far”.  
Fred stared at her, the corners of his mouth turning down as he tried not to grin. He took Shirley by the shoulders and walked her to the mirror on the dressing table.

“Urgh!” she gasped as she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her wild hair stood on end all over her head, her blouse was bloodstained and filthy dirty with two missing buttons and her skirt covered in mud with a long rip at the seam. Her tights were torn and her knees scratched. Altogether she looked a fright. Shirly looked in the mirror at Fred who was standing behind her to see her reaction. She knew he was amused but trying not to offend her. She began to laugh, at her appearance, at the shock she’d had, at the total absurdity of what she’d been through and seen. Shirley leant back against Fred who held onto her shoulders and started laughing with relief. Soon the two of them were gasping for breath through tears of laughter. It was what she needed, to see him recover himself and to try to put behind her the unreality of the night.

Later in the small front bedroom, Fred pulled open a drawer.  
“They’re Joan’s things she left behind but you might find something that’ll fit” he offered.  
“This’ll do” agreed Shirley pulling out a clean blouse, ”I’m sure I can make myself look decent”.  
They both smiled.  
“I’ll have a soak in the bath.” Fred announced, “Take my time. When I’m finished, you help yourself while I make us a bit of breakfast”.

Shirley nodded, glad he was trying hard to make this all sound as normal as possible. While Fred wallowed in a hot bath, Shirley stripped off and lay on the bed recounting all that had happened. If it weren’t for the cut at her throat and the memory of his rough tongue soothing her, she could barely believe she’d spent that night with a wolf. When Fred had finished in the bathroom, Shirley caught a glimpse of him with a towel wrapped around his waist, gleaming pink from the hot bath and close shave. She took her turn in the bathroom to try and make herself presentable then returned to Joan’s room to dress in borrowed clothes. 

As she went downstairs, Shirley could smell bacon frying. True to his word, Fred was making breakfast. He was dressed in a crisp white open necked shirt, suit trousers with braces, and was wearing a pinafore. Apart from looking haggard, he appeared none the worse for his ordeal; she could have thought she had dreamt that he changed into a wolf had she not seen him change back in front of her. He nodded her to sit at the kitchen table while he served breakfast. They ate in silence, Fred gulping down mug after mug of tea. Shirley cleared the table when they’d finished, and he washed up while she dried the dishes. The domesticity helped Shirley come to terms with the violence she’d witnessed last night, and settle back to a normal routine, just as Fred had hoped.

“Come through” he said, leading her into the back room where he sat opposite her at the dining table.  
“Now then,” he said placing a pad of paper and pen in front of her. “Write down what you remember and we’ll talk it over with Mr Bright when we see him”.  
Shirley thought for a long time without saying anything.  
“I’ve been over this already with Mr Bright at the woods, and again with you this morning” she mused. ”Why don’t I write it out properly as my statement? Then you can dictate your statement and I’ll write that down too, sir.”  
“Fred” he replied softly with a sweet smile.  
“Fred” she repeated, blushing a little.  
“Sir can wait for when we’re back at the station I reckon. You’ve stood by me and I won’t forget it”.

Shirley glowed with his praise and grinned back at him. 

Fred put his head on one side and narrowed his eyes in thought. Shirley started as she recognised the same gesture that Wolfred had made. Fred nodded his agreement as she picked up the pen and started to write.

As she bent over the notepad, Fred watched the top of her golden head, tempted to reach out and stroke her soft hair. He noticed how she flicked out the tip of her tongue to concentrate on her writing, shut her eyes to recall a detail, and shuddered when her memory called up the horrors of the night. He wanted very much to console her, to hug her closely to his chest, to promise she would never have to face such terrors again, but he could do none of these things. The young woman in front of him was brave and caring, and would only suffer further if he tried to get too close to her. He realised that his craving to protect and comfort her was purely selfish of him, and resolved to spare her any more involvement in his terrible secret life.

When Shirley had finished writing her own statement, he read it through. It was precise and correct. She made no reference to a wolf, not exactly lying but being careful with what she didn’t say. Fred dictated his own statement to her, equally factual and just as sparing with omissions. Satisfied with both, Fred watched her read them through once more and as she put down the papers he announced,  
“Reckon I owe you an explanation”  
“What’s that?” she asked.  
“About me. Well, about Wolfred. How it all came about”  
Shirley looked surprised as she was dying to know how her solid, reliable governor had managed to lead a double life but hadn’t dared to pry.

Fred told her how he had started to change as a teenager, inherited the condition from his grandfather although it had skipped his father’s generation. That his family had rallied round to teach the youngster how to cope and how to hide it from others who would have persecuted him if they’d discovered a wolfman in their community. During the war he had been sent to join a unit that learned to control and direct their strength and aggression, focus on the enemy instead of running out of control. After the war he’d joined the police, met his future wife Win and explained to her all about his condition. Brave Win had accepted him, wolf and all, and they’d married and had the children. It seemed he’d grown out of changing into a wolf every full moon, as it only happened rarely these last few years.

“It seems that violence triggers it nowadays” he said thoughtfully. “Threats to me and mine. Otherwise I get my head down and try to sleep through the night. Most months nothing happens. Of course it helps that Win has always been with me, calming me down and keeping me quiet. Mebbe that’s what set me off this time. Her not being here.”  
He looked so heartbroken without his wife beside him when he most needed her, that Shirley reached over to pat his hand.  
“Mrs Thursday will be back soon, I’m sure she will. Once she knows about what happened, she’ll come back, won’t she?”

Fred flinched at the question, not knowing if or when his wife might return to him. Shirley understood his worry, that maybe next month and the month after that he would keep changing into Wolfred unless he felt safe and calm. Having had his wife Win to soothe him and make him feel safe had kept him from changing into a wolf every full moon.

“Sir, I mean Fred, if you need someone with you…” Shirley started to say.  
Fred raised an eyebrow to encourage her to continue.  
“It’s just that, if, you know, Mrs Thursday isn’t back in time,” she stumbled as she struggled to tell him how much she wanted to care for him, “well, I could stay with you. Next month. If you’d like”

Fred took his time to reply.  
“Well that’s very generous of you. It’s not something I’d ask of anyone, being it’s so, ah, frightening”  
“Oh but I wouldn’t be frightened next time now I know what’s going to happen” she pressed.

Fred didn’t want to drag her in any further. Nor did he want to hurt her feelings by rejecting her offer, so he tried to tread a middle ground.  
“Well I’m touched” he said sounding almost shy. “You’ve been kindness itself. And if I feel I need your help then maybe I will call on you. We’ll see shall we?”  
“Well” said Shirley, taking the hint to back off, “you know where to find me if you need me”.  
Fred couldn’t help but admire this forceful and confident young woman. Nor could he help his next move, as he curled back his upper lip and gave her a decidedly wolfish grin.

To change the subject to something less painful, Shirley asked, “Who else knows about Wolfred?”  
“Mr Bright” he answered, taking his time to carefully list each of them. “It’s in my service records. Confidential of course. And Dr DeBryn has covered up for me on occasion. My Win and the kids. And now you”.  
Shirley nodded.  
“You won’t discuss this, will you?” he urged. “Could put my life in danger. Or worse, my family’s. Or yours” he added darkly.  
“No, no, of course not. I swear” she confirmed. “But what about Jim Strange? He saw the bodies up at the woods”  
“Sergeant Strange might come to his own conclusions” said Fred, ”but knowing him he’ll keep them to himself.”   
“And Morse?”   
Fred shook his head.  
“Morse might work it out for himself” said Fred, “but he didn’t see anything for certain”  
“And if he does figure it out, he can keep a secret”  
“Morse keeps more secrets than is good for him” Fred snorted, “and most of them not his to keep”. 

Still, it got him worrying just what Morse had seen and thought, knowing that his clever lad would soon work out what had happened even if it seemed impossible to believe. Fred would have to tread very carefully with Morse until this all blew over.


	8. Morse Knows

Later that week, Morse was back at work after a couple of days rest following his beating. He still bore the livid bruises on his face, and seemed uncharacteristically subdued. Thursday approached him at his desk and enquired,  
“Lunch then Morse?”

Morse looked up and squinted at his governor curiously. Then he nodded curtly and stood up to follow Thursday out of the office.

Thursday pulled up the Jag outside the remote country pub he’d selected for their lunch. He’d chosen somewhere out of the way as he had intended to quiz Morse about the night he’d been beaten up without arousing Morse’s suspicions. Thursday needed to find out whether Morse knew anything about Wolfred, and whether he had linked the appearance of a wolf with Thursday that night in the woods.

Morse however was too canny for his boss. Without getting out of the car, Morse turned to Thursday and started the conversation,  
“Is there something you brought me out here to tell me about?”  
“Me? No! Well, just to see how you are after that beating” lied Thursday, squirming a little in the drivers seat, disappointed that Morse could see right through him.  
“I’m fine. Really. Just a bit sore” Morse snapped.  
There was an awkward silence while they both sat stiffly in the car.

“I found something” said Morse, reaching into his overcoat pocket to fish out a shredded rag of material. Thursday looked across then started as he recognised his own tie, the one he’d been wearing on the night of the full moon.

“Where the hell did you find that?” he demanded.  
“So it is yours” said Morse smugly. “I thought I remembered it from the other night. I found it in the clearing in the woods. I went back up there to have a look around.”  
Thursday gripped the steering wheel with one hand and half turned to Morse.

“Your tie had been cut to ribbons by something sharp. Not a knife, see the parallel cuts, more like claws or something” Morse continued, too intent on demonstrating his own intellectual brilliance to see the anger and fear building up in Thursday’s face.

Thursday bit his lip, annoyed at himself for having given away that he recognised the tie.  
“And there were large pawprints next to the patch of blood in the clearing.” Morse added, showing off now.”Too big for a dog. Could only have been a wolf. Except there are no wolves in this country”.

“Alright you clever sod,” spat Thursday, “What are you getting at?”. Fearful that Morse had got to the truth, Thursday was angry with himself that he’d underestimated Morse’s detective skills.

“Oh!” exclaimed Morse, gulping down the need to show his boss how smart he was. “I was only trying to work out what happened, sir”.   
“Well then say what you’ve got to say. Out with it lad!” growled his governor.

Morse realised too late he’d upset Thursday terribly and had to back peddle now to get the big man to carry on talking to him. He tried a more conciliatory tone using much more formal policing language.  
“I read the statements, sir, yours and WPC Trewlove’s. But there was no mention of any wolf. Yet it was there”.

“Does it matter?” countered Thursday.   
“Yes it does matter that we know the truth” said Morse thoughtfully. “So I tried to talk to Sergeant Strange and WPC Trewlove, but neither could or would tell me anymore than was in their statements. They’re trying to protect someone. And you were the only other person there at the time.”  
“You’re reading too much into this” snapped Thursday.

Morse ploughed on.  
“And the autopsy reports say both died of stab wounds. But I was there in the ambulance, and although the bodies were covered up, there was an awful lot of blood for a stabbing.”

Thursday shrugged his shoulders, determined not to say anything that would give any more away.  
“So I came to the conclusion that a large wolf had attacked and killed both men” stated Morse as coolly as he could. 

Thursday huffed but said nothing.  
“You did kill both those men didn’t you?” said Morse quietly, more as a statement of fact rather than a question.

“Said so in my statement didn’t I?” admitted Thursday.”They injured two officers and threatened to kill you both. I had to. To save you”. He sighed deeply. He knew he had to tell Morse about Wolfred now that Morse had already worked it out for himself. 

“And I wanted to thank you for saving my life” Morse added humbly.  
Thursday turned to his lad in surprise at this unexpected change of tack and instantly forgave him all his arrogance.  
“Well I couldn’t just leave you there, could I?” he said tenderly.  
Morse smiled shyly and shook his head. There was a moment’s silence between them. 

Thursday reached out and placed his big paw over Morse’s hands which were twisted together in his lap.  
“You know I’d never let you down if you needed my help” whispered Thursday with a catch in his voice.  
Morse nodded, moved almost to tears by Thursday’s obvious affection.

“And you know you can trust me with any secret, no matter how terrible?” tried Morse, fishing one last time for the truth from Thursday. But the wily older man had had enough of guessing games.  
“Like me turning into a wolf at the full moon?” he scoffed then leaned back and barked with laughter, making a joke of Morse’s accurate deductions. “Talk sense, Morse! That kick in the head must have scrambled your brains!”

When Morse turned to Thursday to protest, he fell silent as Thursday showed him a distinctly wolfish grin, teeth bared and top lip curled, with a flash of amber in his eyes that Morse had never noticed before.  
Morse swallowed his objections and his pride.

“Here” mumbled Morse holding out the ripped tie.   
“Evidence Morse!” protested Thursday.  
Morse shook his head.  
“No. The case is closed. You killed both men in defence of your officers” he sighed, still reluctant to give up on the truth of the matter. “Take it. It’s yours”.  
Thursday raised his eyebrows, surprised that Morse had backed down, for now at least. He reached out for the tie and stuffed it into his pocket, relieved that he did not have to explain himself any further.

They sat silently for a while, Morse staring straight ahead out of the window and Thursday watching him carefully.  
“Come on lad,” Thursday said trying to lighten the mood, “I need a drink.”  
Morse turned to look at him, deep in thought. Then he shook himself as if to put those thoughts behind him.  
“This round’s on me” Morse smiled getting out of the car. 

Relieved to have put him off for now, Thursday followed him in to the pub, knowing that Morse had worked out the truth. But what mattered was that Wolfred’s secret would be safe with Morse forever.

**Author's Note:**

> I so love the Endeavour fanfics that I want to try to contribute and came up with this story.
> 
> This is only my second fanfic so pleeeease let me know what you think? if you like it I’ll write more chapters ....
> 
> Thanks to another fanfic for giving me the idea of Fred Thursday turning into a wolf (see Wolves of Oxford by Codswallop) as it’s perfect!


End file.
